The continued drift toward protectionism poses a threat to the balanced expansion of world trade in the medium term and to the prospects for suśtaining economic recovery.

Long Synopsis:

The continued drift toward protectionism poses a threat to the balanced expansion of world trade in the medium term and to the prospects for suśtaining economic recovery. In the past several years, most industrial countries have become more protectionist than before, despite the continued tariff cuts of the Tokyo Round and limited instances of liberalization of nontariff barriers.